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Fresh as the Farm Thanksgiving Meal

We don’t mean to jump on the “eat healthy during the holidays” bandwagon, but really, we should. We’ve got nothing against mashed potatoes and stuffing, the treats we expect and desire when the weather turns cold; but allow us to offer a tasty suggestion. Enjoy your conservative helpings of Thanksgiving favorites, and try something new with our amazing cornish hen dinner, complemented by a beet salad and sweet walnut acorn squash. As usual, Tina has completed plenty of research and hours or experimenting to come up with a snack that will thrill the tastebuds and avoid that post-turkey stupor by fueling your body in a healthy way.

These items together contain all the macronutrients: protein, carbohydrates and fats. For those of you who haven’t yet tried a recipe with cornish hen, let’s just say you’ve GOTTA do it. It’s absolutely delicious. The flavor is subtle, a little sweeter and more dense than chicken, and is simply delicious with the garlic and rosemary in this recipe. The beet arugula salad packs a punch for your senses, a surprising contrast to the gentle cornish hen. We absolutely loved the sharp flavor of the greens with goat feta cheese sprinkled on top (quite liberally, in Stephanie’s case). The benefit here is a decent amount of vitamins C and K, along with iron and beta carotene, but let’s not focus on that stuff during Thanksgiving. Along those lines, Tina includes an absolutely amazing sweet acorn squash that’s sure to please. In addition, we’ve included a recipe at the end for a gluten-free pie that features coconut and pumpkin.

Enjoy these elements together in a well-rounded meal, or bring one thing with you to the family party. Either way, you can wow your loved ones with the idea that healthy can taste good! Use this holiday season to begin a new era in your life involving wellness and healthy living- you’ll be sure to have some company in that once your friends give this recipe a try.

Wash the cornish hens. Pat dry. Pour 1 tablespoon of the buttery olive oil on each cornish hen, then salt and pepper. Stuff each cornish hen with 1/2 of the onion and 2 garlic cloves. Add 1 sprig of rosemary and thyme to each hen. Place in a dutch oven and bake, covered, for 1 hour.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place acorn squash on a pan and bake until you can put a fork through it, about 30 minutes.

Split the acorn squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Place 1/2 tablespoon of the butter in each half of the squash. Sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg.

Place the coconut and walnuts in a food processor and pulse until the walnuts are minced. Add coconut sugar or truvia and continue to pulse. Add 1/4 cup of coconut mix to each squash. Place squash in a baking pan that has about 1 inch of water. Cover with aluminum foil and bake until squash is soft, about 20 minutes.